Beach reads you will love: top picks for your next getaway
As the sun shines brightly and the waves crash gently on the shore, nothing is more refreshing than diving into a captivating book. Beach reads are the perfect companions for those lazy summer days, offering heartwarming stories that transport readers to different worlds. This article explores some of the best beach reads to add to your reading list.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Immerse yourself this summer in a collection of beach reads that cater to every taste, from romantic comedies to thrilling mysteries. With compelling characters and gripping plots, these books promise to keep you entertained while you soak up the sun. So grab sunscreen and a refreshing drink, and discover your next favourite read to make your beach days even more delightful!
List of the best beach reads in 2024
In 2006, a study linked reading fiction to better performance on empathy and social acumen tests. Keith Oatley, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Toronto and a novelist and author, explained the benefits of reading fiction to Sarah Kaplan at the Washington Post. Oatley said:
"When we read about other people, we can imagine ourselves into their position and we can imagine it's like being that person. That enables us to better understand people, better cooperate with them."
Keen to discover some awesome suggestions for a good beach read? Credible sources such as Vogue and Goodreads greatly influenced the rankings of these books. Here is a list of books from some award-winning writers that are great beach reads.
| Book | Author | Rating |
| This Summer Will Be Different | Carley Fortune | 4.5/5 |
| The Shards | Bret Easton Ellis | 4.5/5 |
| Come and Get It | Kiley Reid | 4.5/5 |
| Funny Story | Emily Henry | 4.3/5 |
| Summer Romance | Annabel Monaghan | 4.1/5 |
| Lies and Weddings | Kevin Kwan | 3.8/5 |
| The House on Biscayne Bay | Chanel Cleeton | 3.7/5 |
| Romantic Comedy | Curtis Sittenfeld | 3.6/5 |
| Pineapple Street | Jenny Jackson | 3.6/5 |
| Bad Summer People | Emma Rosenblum | 3.41/5 |
| The Three of Us | Ore Agbaje-Williams | 3.0/5 |
1. This Summer Will Be Different
Source: Instagram
- Author: Carley Fortune
- Ratings: 4.5/5
- Originally published: May 7, 2024
- Genres: Romance novel, Contemporary romance, Coming-of-age story, Domestic Fiction
This Summer will be Different follows Lucy, a Toronto resident who visits Prince Edward Island each summer with her best friend Bridget. During one of these trips, Lucy hooks up with local bartender Felix, unaware that he is Bridget's younger brother.
The book is written by Carley Fortune, a Canadian writer from Toronto, Ontario. In a quote from the book, she told Goodreads:
It's how I learned that the families we make are as significant as the ones we're born into. It's how I learned that the greatest loves are not always romances.
2. The Shards
Source: UGC
- Author: Bret Easton Ellis
- Ratings: 4.5/5
- Originally published: 2023
The Shards by Bret, an American author and screenwriter, is the perfect fit, especially for Psychopaths fans. It is a semi-autobiographical novel set in 1981 and focuses on Bret, a high school senior in Los Angeles.
As he navigates the superficiality of his affluent surroundings, he becomes increasingly obsessed with Robert Mallory, a mysterious new student who may be linked to a series of gruesome murders committed by a serial killer known as the "Trawler."
3. Come and Get It
Source: Instagram
- Author: Kiley Reid
- Ratings: 4.5\5
- Originally published: January 30, 2024
- Genres: Coming-of-age story, Humorous Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Kiley Reid is an American novelist credited for several best-selling novels such as Come and Get It. It portrays a provocative story about a residential assistant and her entanglement with a circle of three unruly students and their professors. It also explores how Southern college women think about money but not weddings.
4. Funny Story
Source: Instagram
- Author: Emily Henry
- Ratings: 4.3/5
- Originally published: April 23, 2024
- Genres: Romance novel, Fiction, Contemporary Romance
From the celebrated New York bestselling author comes a new riveting book to read at the beach, Funny Story. It centres on Daphne, recently dumped by her fiancé for his best friend. She moves in with Miles, her ex-fiancé's childhood friend, who has also been jilted.
To make their exes jealous, they pretend to be in a relationship. However, as they navigate their fake romance, genuine feelings develop.
5. Summer Romance
Source: Instagram
- Author: Annabel Monaghan
- Ratings: 4.1/5
- Originally published: June 4, 2024
- Genres: Romance novel, Contemporary romance, Domestic Fiction
Are you fed up with getting heartbroken every time you read a fiction novel? Well, Summer Romance is the perfect choice for you. Explore this fun and brief story of Ali, a single mother of three, as she navigates her post-grief romance with her newly found lover Ethan.
Summer Romance is a book by Annabel Monaghan, a best-selling author. It is one of the best beach reads for guys. Her other books include Same Time Next Summer, and Nora Goes Off Script.
6. Lies and Weddings
Source: Getty Images
- Author: Kevin Kwan
- Ratings: 3.8/5
- Originally published: May 21 2024
- Genres: Fiction, Romance novel, Contemporary Romance
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan follows Rufus Leung Gresham, the future Earl of Greshamsbury, as he deals with his family's financial problems during his sister's opulent wedding. Rufus is pressured by his mother to marry for money to restore their fading fortune. He finds himself in a dilemma where he must choose between seeking wealth and following his heart, which belongs to his childhood friend, Eden Tong.
7. The House on Biscayne Bay
Source: Instagram
- Author: Chanel Cleeton
- Ratings: 3.7/5
- Originally published: 2024
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Gothic fiction
Chanel Cleeton's The House on Biscayne Bay is a gothic historical tale set in Miami that follows the lives of two women across multiple timelines. The story begins in the 1920s with Anna Barnes, whose husband is constructing an expensive mansion called Marbrisa. Their seemingly ideal life conceals dark secrets and scandals.
Years later, after her parents' sad death, Carmen Acosta returns to Marbrisa, only to uncover the mansion's perilous heritage and the riddles that endanger her life. As Carmen uncovers the estate's disturbing past, she confronts the interwoven fates of both women.
8. Romantic Comedy
Source: Instagram
- Author: Curtis Sittenfeld
- Ratings: 3.6/5
- Originally published: April 4, 2023
- Genres: Romance novel, Humor
A TV comedy script writer thinks she's sworn off romance until a dreamy pop star appears and upends all her assumptions. Romantic Comedy is a sophisticated and humorous book that is the perfect addition to your summer vacation books.
9. Pineapple Street
Source: Instagram
- Author: Jenny Jackson
- Ratings: 3.6/5
- Originally published: March 7, 2023
- Genres: Urban Fiction, Domestic Fiction
Indulge in this delightful, humorous, captivating tale about family, love, and class. Pineapple Street follows three women from an old, wealthy Brooklyn Heights clan. They include Darley, born with money; Sasha, who married into it; and Georgina, the family's millennial conscience, who wishes to give it all away.
10. Bad Summer People
Source: Instagram
- Author: Emma Rosenblum
- Ratings: 3.41/5
- Originally published: May 23, 2023
- Genres: Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Contemporary Romance
This stylish, irreverent, and darkly comic story explores what lies behind the surface of seemingly flawless lives in a place where everyone has something to hide. Set in an exclusive summer retreat on Fire Island, Bad Summer People is an explosive debut that explores adultery, backstabbing, and homicide.
11. The Three of Us
Source: Instagram
- Author: Ore Agbaje-Williams
- Ratings: 3.0
- Originally published: May 11, 2023
- Genre: Literary fiction
Agbaje's story follows a mesmerising long-standing domestic tale between a husband, wife and her best friend as they share their viewpoints. Bury yourself in this classic beach read as you enjoy the one-of-a-kind domestic comedy manners of these wealthy and educated trio.
How do you comfortably read on the beach?
Reading on the beach can be a delightful escape, but comfort is critical to thoroughly enjoying the experience. Below are some of the tips to help you read comfortably:
- Select a captivating book that will keep you engaged for hours.
- Have essential items like sunscreen, sunglasses, and a beach umbrella for shade to protect yourself from the sun.
- Consider using a bookweight or a hands-free reading stand to keep your book steady in the wind, and opt for a beach chair with a face hole for added comfort.
- Earbuds or earplugs to help block noise, choose a location away from noisy crowds.
- Waterproof everything.
What makes a great beach read?
A great beach read emphasises plot and characters over elegant prose and heavier themes. It also offers a break from the drumbeat of 'heavier' stories.
What is considered a beach read?
A beach read, usually fiction, is a book you might read at the beach, lake, resort, or any other summer vacation destination. It is a light, engaging book that is easy to read and enjoyable during leisure time, particularly at the beach.
Beach reads offer a much-needed escape from everyday life's overwhelming hustle and bustle. They help readers unwind, relax, and lose themselves in stories that resonate with their experiences or whisk them away to far-off places. So, as you plan your summer getaways, do not forget to pack a few of these engaging novels.
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Briefly.co.za published an article about Morgan Wallen's top 10 songs. Morgan Wallen is an American country music singer and songwriter. Wallen first came to the limelight in 2014 when he participated in The Voice singing competition show.
He has been in the spotlight since the debut of his first album If I Know Me. His songs have garnered millions of views on YouTube. Discover the best of Morgan Wallen's songs here.
Source: Briefly News
